


A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jette

by thekidwantsacoffee



Series: Cameron Frye Gets a Boyfriend [1]
Category: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Genre: Cameron is a sad boi, Flashbacks, I’m a slut for Cameron but then again so are you so who cares, Kissing, M/M, Post canon, actually LOTS of flashback like holy shit, precanon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 18:10:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20393971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekidwantsacoffee/pseuds/thekidwantsacoffee
Summary: From the second Cameron had met Ferris, he knew he was in trouble. It was plain and simple. Even from when they were four and five years old, Cameron knew that he was in trouble when he met this boy. Ferris was like fire - wild, unpredictable, and hot-natured. Cameron was like ice - cold, lonely and always finding something to worry about. In that way, they were extremely different people, but somehow, by some miracle or work of God, they became best friends.-The story of how Cameron realized he was in love with his best friend, or better yet, the story of the aftermath of the car.





	A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jette

From the second Cameron had met Ferris, he knew he was in trouble. It was plain and simple. Even from when they were four and five years old, Cameron knew that he was in trouble when he met this boy. Ferris was like fire - wild, unpredictable, and hot-natured. Cameron was like ice - cold, lonely and always finding something to worry about. In that way, they were extremely different people, but somehow, by some miracle or work of God, they became best friends. 

~

They had met on the first day of kindergarten - well, Cameron’s first day at the school that was on the outskirts of downtown Chicago. He had moved from Detroit with his mother and father, a trait that he still carried with him through his love of the Red Wings. It was a cold day in February, almost March. Cameron had kept to himself for most of that day except for the occasional asking for a tissue so he could blow his nose - the weather was making his nose runny - and cough. When the time came for the group of little kids to go outside, Cameron had no one to even consider playing with.

For a good while, Cameron sat on the swings alone, watching all the other kids play with each other, all the while none of them choosing to interact with Cameron. Instead, they played their own little games with each other in their own various groups. One kid, however, flowed in and out of each group, alternating as he so pleased, joining in on whatever games they were playing, asking questions and getting bored rather quickly of each group. Cameron watched him intently, curious of him. At some point, the kid seemed to notice him and walked over to the swings, introducing himself as Ferris. Ferris Bueller. 

Ferris sat down on the swing beside Cameron, and Cameron wasn’t exactly sure what to do. 

“So why are you sitting alone?” 

“Because I don’t have any friends,” Cameron answered softly. He sniffled. “Not here at least.” 

“I thought I was your friend.” 

Cameron looked over at him. “Oh, okay.” 

Ferris smiled brightly. “As of now, I’m your best friend.” 

~

Cameron knew he was in trouble when he was nine years old at Ferris’s tenth birthday party. He had known Ferris for five years at this point and had already been dragged on many shenanigans. Cameron was still a sickly kid and was even a little ill at the party, but it wasn’t anything contagious, so he came anyway. Ferris had decided to have a sleepover after the party, so Cameron got to stay after - in fact, he was the only friend of Ferris’s to actually stay the night. 

The real plan came into action when Ferris woke Cameron up at two in the morning, fully dressed. 

“Get up, Cam.” 

“Hmm?”

“I said get up and get dressed.” 

“Ferris, what’s going on?” 

“We’re going out, no c’ mon, hurry up.” 

Cameron reluctantly got up, slipping on his clothes from the previous day back on. He was groggy as Ferris drug him down the stairs and out the backdoor, towards the bikes that he and Jeanie had. 

“Ferris, what’re we doing?” 

“We’re going out, Cameron.” 

“Ferris, no, we can’t. If my dad finds out, he’ll kill me.” 

Ferris shook his head. “Then don’t let him find out.” He had already mounted his bike, pushing up the kickstand and leaning on his foot to balance himself. “We got to live a little, Cameron.” With that, Ferris started peddling, moving past Cameron as he did so. 

“Ferris!” Cameron called after him, careful not to be too loud as to not wake up the rest of the household. “Ferris, this isn’t funny!” 

Like a stroke of luck, Ferris pulled back around, his now-signature smirk plastered on his face. Sighing, Cameron mounted Jeanie’s bike and peddled after Ferris. “If we get caught, Ferris, we’re both dead. My dad will kill you and then he’ll kill me.” 

They biked down the street, Ferris taking the lead and pulling into someone’s yard, ditching his bike as he reached the back of the house. Cameron respectfully leaned the bike on the side of the fence as he followed Ferris anxiously to the back of the house, where there happened to be a pool and Ferris, who was already getting undressed. 

“No, Ferris, no. I’m not doing this with you. This is way too far.” 

Ferris laughed. “This? This is too far? Cameron, we have to live a  _ little _ ,” he said this, taking a step closer to Cameron. Cameron watched him as he moved, much like he had five years ago. Then, without any sense of warning, Ferris grabbed Cameron’s hands and pulled them both into the pool. 

Cameron felt the water surround him, making him hold his breath as squeezed his eyes shut. He felt Ferris let go of him and he looked up and around him, air bubbles escaping from his mouth. He looked up and around himself, he felt calm, the calmest he’d been for the first time in a long time. As he felt himself losing air, he pushed against the bottom of the pool and shot up, gasping for air as he came up. He did his best to tread the water with one hand keeping him up and the other pushing his now mop of black hair out of his face. 

“See, Cameron? This is fun! We’re living life, having the best time of our lives!” 

Cameron’s eyes burned from the chlorine in the water but he didn’t care, he just let out a small chuckle and swam closer to Ferris in order to splash him with the water. Cameron has no idea how they ended up getting away with that and has no idea how his parents never found out about it. 

~

Cameron knew he was in trouble with Ferris when he was fourteen years old. They weren’t doing anything particularly crazy or interesting, they were just in Ferris’s kitchen because they had been rained out of whatever thing Ferris had wanted to do. He was just sitting on the aisle in the middle of the kitchen while Ferris sat on the counter across from him. They both had cans of Coke in thier hands, just sitting and talking and drinking. It was a normal Friday afternoon, right after school, and Ferris’s parents would take Cameron home in a few hours if the rain wouldn’t let up by the time he was supposed to be home. 

“So, what do you think of Angel?” Ferris asked. 

“From Math or French?” 

“Math.” 

Cameron shrugged. “I mean, she’s okay. She’s not the most interesting person in the world. Why do you ask?”

“I think I’m gonna ask her to the Spring Dance.” 

Cameron almost choked on his Coke. A pang of jealousy washed over his body as his stomach churned, gripping his whole body. He pushed down whatever he felt rising in his throat and looked Ferris in the eyes for a few moments before looking away. “Oh, okay. She’s really pretty and she’ll probably say yes.” 

“Everything okay Cameron?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Cameron put on a fake smile to show his ‘support’, “A-okay. Do you know how you’re gonna ask her out?” 

“Not yet, but I’ve got a few ideas.” 

As Cameron listened to Ferris talk on and on about Angel and how she was ‘so hot’ and ‘absolutely gorgeous’ and how he was gonna have an elaborate plan in order to ask her out, the worse he felt. But he didn’t have any feelings for Angel. He didn’t find her attractive in the slightest, not in the ways that Ferris was talking about. So why was he so jealous?

Oh. 

Oh  _ no. _

“Shit,” Cameron said, louder than he intended to. He didn’t even intend to say it. 

“What?” 

Cameron looked up at Ferris, panicked. He had to think of something, fast. “I, uh, it’s nothing.” Great. Perfect. Simple enough. 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.” 

With that, Ferris slowly resummed getting back to talking about Angel as Cameron finished off his Coke and prayed that Ferris would change the subject soon. 

~

Cameron knew he was in trouble that same night when he sat with my parents at dinner for the first time in a long time. Since he realized why he was so jealous he hadn’t been able to think straight or breathe right or even find the courage to eat or talk. He pushed his food around with his fork, prompting his mother to ask him what was wrong. 

“I just don’t feel too well, that’s all. Can I be excused?” 

His mother said yes and he picked up his plate, brought it back to the kitchen, and went back to his room. After carefully closing the door, he rushed for the bathroom, emptying his insides into the toilet, dry heaves wracking his lanky body, causing him to shake. Tears spilled from his eyes as he continued to vomit, feeling worse than he ever had in a long time. With each expulsion of bile from his throat, he felt as if he deserved it, the burning and awful taste in his mouth felt as though he had caused this, like it was his fault for his feelings. 

He knew about these feelings for a long while, but he didn’t think they were actually true. But now he knew that they were, and that scared the hell out of Cameron. He had known before they got rained out of their plans that afternoon, long before high school started, he knew long before that fateful night where they snuck out when he was nine years old and was pulled into that pool, hell, he had probably known since the first day he met Ferris. 

“Damn it, Ferris,” Cameron whispered, sobs shaking his body. “God damn it.” 

Cameron’s mother knocked softly on his bedroom door, letting herself in and into his bathroom. She didn’t say anything, she just rubbed his back and helped him stand, helping him to his bed before checking his forehead and leaving the room, only to return with a warm mug of ginger tea and a few ibuprofen pills before leaving him alone for the rest of the night. 

~

Now, Cameron sat in his ‘piece of shit’ car outside of his parent’s house, a few bags of his things in his trunk and in the backseat. Apparently, standing up to his father, defending himself was easier said than done. Cameron had stood in the living room for about half an hour after Ferris and Sloane left, waiting for his father to return home and see the damage Cameron had done to the precious car of his father’s. 

Surprisingly, the reason his father had beat the shit out of him and thrown him out wasn’t because of the car, but because of what had happened after. 

~

“Seriously, Cameron, what the hell were you thinking? That car cost me thousands of dollars, what got into your head?” 

“I don’t know.” 

At that point, Cameron knew he had already lost the battle, he had done as much defending as he could with the car. Part of him, for some reason, still believed he could win the war. 

“I bet it’s that son of a bitch Ferris Bueller’s fault. You know, you’d be better off without him. I can’t believe your mother lets you-” 

“Shut up about Ferris,” Cameron said, his voice firm. He could let his father talk down to him all he wanted to, at this point in his life he was way too used to it to have any effect on him anymore, Cameron will be damned if he let his father talk shit about Ferris one more time. 

“What?” 

“I said shut the fuck up about Ferris!” Cameron was beyond pissed at his father now. He knew he had anger towards his father, but he always dismissed it. Now, this anger wasn’t dismissable, this was almost pure rage that now flowed through Cameron’s veins. “You always call him a son of a bitch behind his back, you treat him like he’s a bad influence or-or like he’s the scum of the Earth. Hell, based on the way you talk about him, you almost treat him worse than the way you treat me. You can walk over me all you want but I swear to god if you call Ferris a son of a bitch one more damn time I-I-I’ll knock your teeth in!” 

Cameron’s fists were clenched when it happens, his jaw tight before the first hit. His father punches him in the face, right across his cheek the first time. It burns for a few seconds and Cameron’s hand loosens to reach up to grab his face. 

“You disrespectful little shit, you taught you to talk to your parents like that? Huh? You’re finding more and more reasons for me to think you’re a disappointment of a son.” 

Cameron, bewildered, lets out a nervous laugh. “Oh,  _ that’s  _ a reason to call me a disappointment, sure.” 

His father hit him again, this time on his lip. The wedding ring on his finger busted Cameron’s lip, and while his hand moved his mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood. “You wanna give me another reason before I kick you out of the house?” 

Cameron swallowed, holding his own. He thought for a moment before letting out another laugh. “Yeah, actually, I do,” Cameron said, looking his father in the eyes. “You wanna know  _ why  _ I defend Ferris? You wanna know  _ why  _ I’ve been his friend for the last thirteen years of my life? You wanna know  _ why  _ I won’t stand for your shit when it comes to him?” 

His father stared at him, a dead look in his already piercing cold eyes. “Why?” He asked, but the way he said it, it barely felt like a question. 

“Because I love him. Because I’ve been in love with him for a long time now. And you know what? You can kick me out of your house, I don’t care. I really don’t. I’m tired of being afraid of your sorry ass. You may have done what you could to prevent this from happening - all those years of week-long church camps and Bible studies groups and the threats that I’m going to hell, but guess what?” Cameron felt firm in his words, but he looked down at his feet. He was about to confess to his father what he already had trouble confessing to himself. “I’m-I’m gay, dad, and I’m in love with Ferris Bueller, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

That statement got Cameron’s nose broken and the shit beat out of him. 

~

Cameron sniffled, which made his whole face burn, but he carried on and started his car and driving out of the woods that surrounded his house, and not knowing what else to do, he drove to the nearest payphone he could think of. He had some cash in his wallet and enough change to make a few phone calls. 

He pulled over outside of one and anxiously made his call. 

“Hello?” Asked Ferris, in his fake-bed ridden voice. 

“Hey, it’s me,” Cameron said. His face still throbbed with pain, and it only worsened as he spoke.

‘Oh, hey Cam, how’s everything with your dad. Did he flip out?” 

“You could say that.” 

“I told you,  _ I  _ should’ve taken the heat. Not you.” 

“And I told you, even Ferris Bueller can be stopped.” 

“So, are you dead or what?” 

“No, not dead,” Cameron looked over his shoulder for a split second. “Nah, just kicked out.” 

Cameron could hear movement over the other, meaning that Ferris had sat up. “Wait, your dad kicked you out of the house?” 

“Yeah. He kicked me the hell out of the house. He told me he never wanted to see me again, not once for the rest of his life. Called me a worthless piece of shit. So, I packed up all my shit and left, and I don't ever plan on going back.” 

“Shit, Cameron, what’re we gonna do?” 

“We?” 

“Yeah. We. You’re my best friend, Cameron. I’m not letting my best friend be homeless, not if I have anything to do with it.” 

Best friend. Cameron’s heartstrings tugged down as he heard the words escape Ferris’s mouth. He’d never be more than a best friend. Cameron knew that. He  _ knew  _ that. He’d known it for the longest time. 

“Well, I don’t know what we’re gonna do, Ferris.” 

The line was silent for a few moments. “Park your car at the house with the pool. The couple who lives there is gone for the weekend. Then you can walk over to my house. I’ll get Jeanie to get the ladder from the older couple next door and tell her to leave it right outside the window into my room. I’ll handle everything else. Just get your ass over here.” 

~

Climbing up the ladder proved to be more painful than necessary, but through some miracle, Cameron made it up there and slipped his lanky body through Ferris’s window. He stood up and looked around Ferris’s room. 

“Holy shit, Cameron, what happened to you?” Ferris asked, grabbing the taller boy by the shoulders. It almost hurt Cameron, but not enough to actually do anything. “I’ve never seen  _ anyone  _ get beat up this bad.” 

“Looks like I’m one in a million to Ferris Bueller,” Cameron said. “I, uh, my dad beat the shit out of me before he kicked me out.” 

“Over a damn  _ car _ ?” 

“It wasn’t just the car, Ferris,” Cameron said, and somehow, he found the courage to look Ferris in the eyes. Those big, brown, concerned eyes that looked at Cameron with such innocent and like he was a sick, hurt puppy. And, in a sense, Cameron was. Cameron swallowed thickly. “There’s...something else.” 

Ferris and Cameron sat down on the bed, Cameron with his knees on his elbows wringing his hands and Ferris right beside him with one of his hands on Cameron’s back. 

“What was the other reason, Cameron?” 

“You.” 

“What?” 

Cameron sat up and looked at Ferris. “You’re the other reason. My dad wouldn’t stop talking shit about you and how you’re a bad influence, and I-I-I just snapped at him. It was almost like I was seeing red, Ferris. And then he hit me. Right here-” Cameron pointed at his cheek- “and I then I kept going. I came clean to him and defended you and he lost it. Broke my fuckin’ nose for it, too.” 

“Cameron, what do you mean by ‘come clean’?” 

Cameron chuckled. “Like it isn’t obvious.” 

“No, Cameron, quite frankly it’s not. And now you’re worrying me.” 

Cameron looked back down at his feet. His leg bounced up and down and his hands shook with anxiety. Then, suddenly, Ferris grabbed the side of Cameron’s face that his father hadn’t hit and made him look at Ferris. It felt like a scene right out of a movie. Cameron’s stomach churned, but he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, leaned in, and kissed Ferris. And surprisingly, Ferris kissed back. 

When Cameron pulled away, Ferris still had his hand on Cameron’s face. “Is it obvious now?” 

For the first time, it seemed like Ferris was at a loss for words. 

“Ferris, I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time, and I’ve been in love with you for even longer. And I know you don’t feel the same and I don’t want to hurt you and Sloane-” 

“Shut up and kiss me again.” 

“I-I-I, what?” 

“I mean, yeah, I was serious about marrying Sloane, but the keyword here is ‘was’.” 

“So, you’re not anymore?” 

“I’ve given it a bit of thought. And I’m not. And I’ll tell her in the morning,” Ferris said. “Now, you lanky bastard, shut up and kiss me again.” 

Cameron complied, and that’s how he ended up making out with Ferris Bueller all night while a soft song played on Ferris’s stereo. 


End file.
